| | | | |  | | By Eugene Daniels, Rachael Bade and Ryan Lizza | | | With help from Eli Okun and Garrett Ross
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Ron DeSantis said that if elected president, he might pick Robert F. Kennedy Jr., noted vaccine conspiracy theorist, to lead the FDA or CDC. | Charlie Neibergall, File/AP Photo | | | | |  | DRIVING THE DAY | | | THE RESET TO NOWHERE — A big part of running a successful campaign is knowing which fights are worth picking — and then waging them successfully. Think BARACK OBAMA hammering HILLARY CLINTON over the war in Iraq ahead of 2008, or DONALD TRUMP vs. the GOP field on immigration, or JOE BIDEN homing in on electability in the 2020 primary. What, then, to make of the fights RON DeSANTIS’ campaign has decided to pick? Consider two examples over the last 24 hours: — FIGHT NO. 1: DeSantis said that if elected president, he might pick ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR., noted vaccine conspiracy theorist, to lead the FDA or CDC. It was a statement bound to get media attention. DeSantis knew that; the whole point of saying it was to “own the libs.” But it also left the soft belly of his campaign exposed on the right. Former VP MIKE PENCE was quick to spot the opportunity with an attack aimed to appeal to the Christian conservative voters whose support DeSantis desperately needs. "When I am President, I will only consider Pro-Life Americans to lead the FDA, CDC, or HHS,” Pence said. “[P]ro-abortion Democrats like RFK Jr. would not even make the list." — FIGHT NO. 2: DeSantis’ staff attacked Rep. BYRON DONALDS (R-Fla.), a Trump endorser and the sole Black Republican in the state’s congressional delegation, after he mildly criticized Florida’s widely panned new teaching standards on slavery. Said Donalds: “[T]he attempt to feature the personal benefits of slavery is wrong & needs to be adjusted.” Cue DeSantis spox JEREMY REDFERN: “[S]upposed conservatives in the federal government are pushing the same false narrative that originated from the @WhiteHouse.” Not to be outdone, DeSantis aide CHRISTINA PUSHAW compared Donalds to VP KAMALA HARRIS. Then came the return fire … Donalds: “What’s crazy to me is I expressed support for the vast majority of the new African American history standards and happened to oppose one sentence that seemed to dignify the skills gained by slaves as a result of their enslavement. Anyone who can't accurately interpret what I said is disingenuous and is desperately attempting to score political points.” Trump aide JASON MILLER: “For the official office of the Governor, and (what's left of) Ron DeSantis' presidential campaign to attempt to smear Congressman Donalds like this is a disgrace … Ron DeSantis needs to look in the mirror and recognize that at his current trajectory, it's not just 2024 that is dead for him, but 2028 as well.” Does the DeSantis camp think that either one of these fights bodes well for their campaign? Does it bring them closer to winning the voters they need? What, exactly, is the strategy here? Is it meaningfully different from the one that brought them to this point? What is the much-touted DeSantis “reset” truly resetting?
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Explore more possibilities with the metaverse. | | | WHAT A RESET REQUIRES — The political graveyard is littered with the bones of campaigns that began with huge war chests, lots of fanfare and a coronation narrative — and instead belly-flopped their way into also-ran status. SCOTT WALKER, JEB BUSH and RICK PERRY — the list goes on and on. JOHN McCAIN’s 2008 campaign was almost among them. Instead, his reset worked. McCain walked into the primary as an establishment favorite. But in spring and summer 2007, his campaign was burning through more money than it was raising. The end looked nigh. Over July 4 of that year, McCain visited Iraq with his bestie, Sen. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-S.C.), and came back with a renewed sense of purpose, according to former McCain aides. One aide described it as a “fuel for the entire campaign.” When he got back to campaign HQ, they decided to start slimming down instead of shutting down, and fired 100 people over 10 days in the middle of July. (Sound familiar?) “Honestly, I would have given you 50/50 that he was going to drop out [before that trip],” says McCain’s then-campaign manager, RICK DAVIS. “We had to reset big. … ‘We are completely resetting the campaign. We’re changing the strategy. We’re getting out of Iowa.’” And they did. The campaign parked in New Hampshire and stopped running like a frontrunner. “It started off slow. The crowds were small. One event was in somebody's garage in New Hampshire, you know, and we did VFW halls and American Legions and places where he was liable to find some support.” longtime McCain aide MARK SALTER told us. “And he just kind of clawed his way back into it. He was very good at … the kind of campaigning New Hampshire responds to — which is very town hall, not hiding from any question, taking all comers, sort of enjoying the carnival-like atmosphere.” There are four key lessons from the McCain campaign for any candidate trying to reset: 1. Pick one issue set that is true to the candidate. McCain picked a pretty unpopular one: defending the Iraq War. But voters respected that he had a north star. 2. Pick an early state and basically live there. The McCain campaign bet it all on New Hampshire and left Iowa to everyone else. 3. Make a plan and stick to it. The McCain team essentially banned polling because they didn’t want the chase for an ephemeral polling high to distract them from their strategy. 4. Embrace the failure. “Say ‘I own this. I didn’t do a good job; the campaign got out of control,’” says Davis. “You make the correction and you say, ‘Now we’re rebooting, and we’re going to reload.’” Yet the biggest x-factor is the candidate himself. In 2007, McCain was a household name. He had a reputation for saying what he believed. He had a certain charisma. He had developed enormous amounts of goodwill with the political press. He seemed authentic to voters. He drew on all of it to help him claw his way back. Today, as DeSantis begins an Iowa bus tour sponsored by the Never Back Down super PAC, the inevitable question is this: Does he have what it takes to own his failures and truly reset? Or is he setting himself up not to reset, but to rewind — simply playing through his campaign’s missteps a second time? Good Thursday morning. Thanks for reading Playbook. If you were DeSantis, how would you “reset” the campaign? Drop us a line: Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza.
| | | | A message from Meta:   | | | RACE RATINGS — The Cook Political Report just published its initial race ratings for the Electoral College next year, which labels only four states as toss-ups that will decide the election: Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. AMY WALTER says the “very narrow playing field” also includes Democratic-leaning Michigan and Nevada and Republican-leaning North Carolina. TUTTI A TAVOLA — “Once Wary, Biden to Host Italy’s Meloni at the White House,” by NYT’s Peter Baker SECOND THOUGHTS ON HUNTER — As HUNTER BIDEN’s legal woes once again occupy center stage after yesterday’s surprise plea deal collapse, Natalie Allison and Ally Mutnick report this morning that some Republicans are voicing a novel doubt: Maybe they shouldn’t be focusing on Hunter so much. Some congressional Republicans think pocketbook issues will carry the day with voters, and that their party should be criticizing the president more on the economy, immigration and crime than on his family. Last night, Betsy Woodruff Swan scooped the proposed plea deal for Hunter, which is on hold after yesterday. New this morning, via Jordain Carney: Rep. JAMIE RASKIN (D-Md.), the top Democrat on the Oversight Committee, is sending a letter to Chair JAMES COMER (R-Ky.) urging him to issue a statement publicly reprimanding Rep. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE (R-Ga.) for showing explicit censored images of Hunter Biden during a moment that quickly went viral last week. Raskin said Greene’s actions violated House rules and wants Comer to condemn them “as an affront to the dignity, propriety, and decorum of the Committee.”Read the letter here SCARY MOMENT — Senate Minority Leader MITCH McCONNELL froze and stopped mid-sentence during a press conference yesterday, stepping aside before returning a few moments later. His staff said he’d felt light-headed, and McConnell — who got a call checking in from Biden — later said he was fine, though other details weren’t clear. But the episode worried many of his colleagues, who expressed concern though they remained firm in their support of him, Burgess Everett reports. The 81-year-old, who had a fall and concussion earlier this year, has been very guarded about his health, and his office isn’t commenting on what happened. It wasn’t just yesterday: McConnell this month tripped and fell while getting off a plane at DCA, NBC’s Garrett Haake and Sahil Kapur scooped. He also now uses a wheelchair to be cautious in airports. But he “was not seriously hurt.” McConnell still attended the Major League Baseball reception last night, we’re told by someone in attendance at the event, where he waded into controversial territory: the pitch clock. “I’d hate to see legislation governed by a pitch clock,” McConnell said. “But a neat nine innings in two and a half hours? That’s something we can all get behind.” JOIN US — POLITICO is hosting a Women Rule event on female leaders in the workplace this morning, with Eleanor Mueller interviewing Reps. RO KHANNA (D-Calif.) and NANCY MACE (R-S.C.) and RESHMA SAUJANI. Sign up here
| | BIDEN’S THURSDAY:
9 a.m.: The president will receive the President’s Daily Brief.
11:45 a.m.: Biden will announce new steps to help people struggling in extreme heat.
3 p.m.: Biden will hold a bilateral meeting with Italian PM GIORGIA MELONI.
7:05 p.m.: Biden will leave the White House for the National Archives, where he’ll speak at the Truman Civil Rights Symposium at 7:30 p.m., before returning to the White House at 8:20 p.m.
Press secretary KARINE JEAN-PIERRE will brief at 1:30 p.m.
VP KAMALA HARRIS’ THURSDAY — The VP has nothing on her public schedule.
THE HOUSE will meet at 10 a.m. The Judiciary Committee will hold a markup at 2 p.m. of a report recommending the House find MARK ZUCKERBERG in contempt.
THE SENATE is in. | | | | | | STOP SCROLLING (for just a minute!). Introducing a revamped California Playbook newsletter with an all-new team and a sharpened mission! Join Lara Korte and Dustin Gardiner as they take you on an extraordinary journey through California's political landscape. From inside the Capitol in Sacramento to the mayor’s office in Los Angeles, and from the tech hub of Silicon Valley to even further beyond, we're your front-row ticket to the action. Subscribe for access to exclusive news, buzzworthy scoops and never-before-revealed behind-the-scenes details straight from the heart of California's political arena. Don't miss out — SUBSCRIBE TODAY and stay in the know! | | | | | PHOTO OF THE DAY
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An audience member wears a UFO pin during a House Oversight and Accountability subcommittee hearing on UFOs, Wednesday, July 26. | Nathan Howard/AP Photo | | | PLAYBOOK READS | | 2024 WATCH 2025 VISION — We’re starting to get a clearer picture of what the GOP contenders’ presidencies might actually look like: MIKE PENCE rolled out an inflation/economic plan yesterday, which includes major cuts to spending, the outright elimination of the EPA and CFPB, and rolling back Biden administration investments for everything from clear energy to Amtrak to the IRS. More from CNN VIVEK RAMASWAMY, meanwhile, offered a range of provocative and extreme policy proposals that would build on Trump’s unconventional efforts to expand presidential authority, including barring people under 25 from voting, closing the FBI and firing the majority of executive branch employees. More from WaPo NO LABELS? NO WAY — “Mitch Daniels scoffs at heading a No Labels’ presidential bid,” by Adam Wren MORE POLITICS BROWN UNIVERSITY — Sen. SHERROD BROWN (D-Ohio) is heading into a difficult reelection fight by trying to advance a number of bipartisan bills with populist appeal, Burgess Everett reports this morning. He’s working with NRSC Chair STEVE DAINES (R-Mont.), the man tasked with defeating him, on cannabis banking, plus rail safety, fentanyl and more with other Republicans. Though some of them may fail to surmount a GOP filibuster, any tangible achievements could be an important piece of his uphill-battle pitch to Ohio. ADAM FRISCH GETS A COMPETITOR — “Grand Junction Mayor jumps into congressional race to take on Lauren Boebert,” by Colorado Public Radio’s Stina Sieg and Caitlyn Kim: ANNA STOUT has “developed a reputation as a moderate lawmaker.” CONGRESS SPENDING SHOWDOWN — House Republicans may have a difficult road ahead on passing appropriations bills, but leadership made it through the first decision point yesterday as the chamber started debate on the Military Construction-VA bill with a narrow 217-206 vote, Roll Call’s Aidan Quigley and David Lerman report. The legislation, which usually has the least difficulty of any of the 12 spending bills, is expected to pass today. But it took a lot of negotiating between House GOP leaders and hard-right holdouts just to get to the rule. And the latter group continued to insist on major spending cuts and policy changes — which the Democratic-led Senate won’t accept — before getting on board. This week’s other spending bill in the House, the Agriculture-FDA measure, is struggling to get even that far. A dozen moderates insist that the bill leave out an effort to ban abortion pills’ mail delivery, Meredith Lee Hill and Sarah Ferris scooped in Congress Minutes. It’s a very different story in the Senate, where Appropriations Chair PATTY MURRAY’s (D-Wash.) ultra-efficient approach has combined with lots of bipartisan cooperation to make the process much smoother, WaPo’s Paul Kane writes. The committee is slated to finish approving all 12 bills by the end of today, a remarkable return to the way things used to be done that looks anomalous in light of the past decade’s appropriations chaos. “A key to her career has been having opponents who underestimate her, in both her campaigns and her legislative deals,” PK writes. THE WRATH OF KHAN — “‘Grave concerns’: FTC leader accuses Jim Jordan of intimidating her staff,” by Josh Sisco COME TO YOUR CENSURES — “Dems weigh censure war over Santos and Greene,” by Nick Wu and Olivia Beavers: “House Democrats are facing a tough choice: Is forcing the GOP into perilous votes worth plunging the chamber into a tit-for-tat of symbolic reprimands?”
| | | | A message from Meta:   | | | TRUMP CARDS WITH FRIENDS LIKE THESE — “Trump once condemned the Jan. 6 rioters. Now he’s become one of their biggest supporters,” by AP’s Jill Colvin PAGING JACK SMITH — “Former lawmaker says Trump asked him to overturn the 2020 election but so far he hasn’t been contacted by special counsel,” by NBC’s Vaughn Hillyard: “Former Rep. MO BROOKS is ‘mildly surprised’ that special counsel Jack Smith’s office has not sought a meeting with him to discuss his accusations that former President Donald Trump urged him to help ‘rescind’ the 2020 election and ‘violate the U.S. Constitution and federal law.’” WHAT IS SHE THINKING? — “The Very Private Life of Melania Trump,” by NYT’s Lisa Lerer and Katie Rogers: “Cloistered behind the gates of her three homes, [MELANIA TRUMP] sticks to a small circle — her son, her elderly parents and a handful of old friends. She visits her hairdressers, consults with HERVÉ PIERRE, her longtime stylist, and sometimes meets her husband for Friday night dinner at their clubs. But her most ardent pursuit is a personal campaign: helping her son, BARRON, 17, with his college search. What she has not done, despite invitations from her husband, is appear on the campaign trail. Nor has she been at his side for any of his court appearances.” POLICY CORNER NEW THIS MORNING — “Biden to Announce Steps to Help Communities Deal With Extreme Heat,” by NYT’s Erica L. Green and Lisa Friedman ON THE ADA ANNIVERSARY — “U.S. Moves to Improve Airplane Bathrooms for People With Disabilities,” by NYT’s Mark Walker WAR IN UKRAINE THE SURGE — “Kyiv launches a major push against Russian forces, officials and analysts say,” by AP’s Hanna Arhirova: “The surge in troops and firepower has been centered on the region of Zaporizhzhia, a Western official said late Wednesday.” SIGNIFICANT SHIFT — “Biden Orders U.S. to Share Evidence of Russian War Crimes With Hague Court,” by NYT’s Charlie Savage: “The decision, made by Mr. Biden in recent days, overrides months of resistance by the Pentagon, which had argued that it could pave the way for the court to prosecute American troops.” THE ECONOMY THE FED’S BIG ANNOUNCEMENT — The Fed, as expected, raised interest rates again yesterday — and rolled out an optimistic new projection: the U.S. won’t dip into recession this year. Chair JEROME POWELL said independent Fed staff have changed their predictions since April and now do not forecast a recession, as a soft landing becomes more possible, ABC’s Zunaira Zaki and Ivan Pereira report. Still, the interest rate change set leaves the benchmark rate at its highest level in 22 years, and Powell said more increases could still be on the books in the months to come. At the same time, easing inflation may rob Republicans of one of their chief talking points to hammer Biden over the past couple of years, WaPo’s Jeff Stein writes. GOP analysts are now starting to talk about “whether, or how, the party should adjust its attacks on Biden to account for the new economic reality,” though many are content to keep focusing on inflation.
| | | | HITTING YOUR INBOX AUGUST 14—CALIFORNIA CLIMATE: Climate change isn’t just about the weather. It's also about how we do business and create new policies, especially in California. So we have something cool for you: A brand-new California Climate newsletter. It's not just climate or science chat, it's your daily cheat sheet to understanding how the legislative landscape around climate change is shaking up industries across the Golden State. Cut through the jargon and get the latest developments in California as lawmakers and industry leaders adapt to the changing climate. Subscribe now to California Climate to keep up with the changes. | | | | | | | PLAYBOOKERS | | Brandon Williams went back to the hospital due to complications after a recent heart surgery. Clifton Truman Daniel threw out the first pitch at the Nats game to mark 75 years since his grandfather Harry Truman desegregated the armed forces. Kiara McGowan wants D.C. to cry more. FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Brian Fallon, co-founder and executive director for Demand Justice, is departing his role this fall after five years. Read his departure announcement — Applecart is adding Carrie Ponder and Joe Farren as senior managing directors. Ponder previously was EVP for corporate and public affairs at BCW. Farren previously was chief strategy officer for the Maryland Department of Labor. LOST AND, HOPEFULLY, FOUND — While walking in D.C. this week, presidential historian Carl Sferrazza Anthony lost an irreplaceable engraving, which has been signed by every president and first lady since Gerald Ford. Anthony had just picked up the engraving from the White House, where President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden had each signed it. The White House kept the engraving in a locked safe for more than a year until Anthony, who lives in California, could pick it up in person. Anthony believes he lost the document while he was walking around McPherson Square and then Scott Circle. There is a reward for its return. If found, please contact Anthony at carlanthonyonline@gmail.com or at 310-722-7959. Pic MEDIA MOVE — Philip Rucker is now national editor at WaPo. He previously was deputy national editor. The announcement NEW NOMINEES — The White House is tapping Gen. David Allvin as head of the Air Force, as Connor O’Brien, Lee Hudson and Paul McLeary reported. He currently is vice chief of staff. … The administration also announced that Biden will nominate Paul Martin as inspector general at USAID and Cardell Richardson Sr. as inspector general at the State Department. TRANSITIONS — Ryan Carney is joining K&L Gates’ public policy and law practice as a government affairs adviser. He most recently was chief of staff to Rep. Bryan Steil (R-Wis.). … New Heights Communications has added April Avant as SVP and Paris Kissel as director. Avant previously was principal at Tr3fecta Media. Kissel previously was a director at Spitfire Strategies. … … Mark Jacobson is joining the Partnership for Public Service as VP of research, evaluation and modernizing government. He most recently was assistant dean at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. … Lisa Pino is joining Food for the Hungry as COO. She previously was director of the Office of Civil Rights at HHS. … Patrick Gilmam is now a partner at Eversheds Sutherland. He previously was a partner at Brown Rudnick. HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Rep. Glenn “G.T.” Thompson (R-Pa.) … Sean Savett … Priscilla Painton of Simon & Schuster … Katie Wheelbarger … Alex Wirth of Quorum … Andy Spahn (7-0) … Paul McLeod … Cecilia Muñoz … Berin Szóka … Neil King Jr. … Adm. Craig Faller … Johanna Persing … Jeremy Adler … Prime Policy Group’s Stefan Bailey … John Connell of Sen. Todd Young’s (R-Ind.) office … Linda Feldmann … Gaurav Parikh … Jason Lindsay … Bobby Cunningham of the Vogel Group … Live Action’s Lila Rose … Bobby Saparow … Jeremy Deutsch of Capitol Venture … Anna McCormack of Rep. David Rouzer’s (R-N.C.) office … MSNBC’s Denis Horgan … Juan Mejia … Ashley Howard … Andrew Grossman … former Reps. Dave Brat (R-Va.) and Lacy Clay (D-Mo.) … Lauren Aratani … former Commerce Secretary Don Evans … CNN’s Susan Durrwachter … former CIA Director John Deutch … Brayden Karpinski … Seth Waugh … Alisa Levin … Kate Thompson of the Russell Group Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up here. Send Playbookers tips to playbook@politico.com or text us at 202-556-3307. Playbook couldn’t happen without our editor Mike DeBonis, deputy editor Zack Stanton and producers Setota Hailemariam and Bethany Irvine. Correction: Yesterday’s Playbook mischaracterized House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries’ fundraising numbers.
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